Vente Latte
by kurosora1984
Summary: It was one of those cute little coffee shops, one of those folks they call baristas, one of those regular customers, and one more little falling-in-love story. AkuRoku for MizukiYumeko


**Author's Note:** Hey y'all! So THIS is a double-drabble commission for MizukiYumeko! I decided to make it a fic of it's own - it's Very Short for a fic, but it's not the shortest I've got up here, so what the hell, why not? :) Hope you like it, dear!

Disclaimer: Any resemblance to Starbucks' drinks may be because I used their menu for inspiration because I don't spend enough time in coffee shops. Though I do live on coffee. XD

* * *

When Roxas walked into _Mama's Java_ for his morning coffee on the way to work, the first thing he noticed was the new barista. The guy was tall, skinny, and who could miss that cherry-red hair? He had a scrunchie in it that looked like it was overwhelmed with the task of bringing the guy's mane under health department standards. He also looked damn good in an apron.

But that was probably because he'd look damn good in anything.

Disregarding that thought, Roxas headed to the counter for his drink. He glanced at the chalkboard on the counter as he approached. "Today your barista is:" was followed by "Larxene and the useless newbie." Below that was the usual "For your drink today I recommend," and the chalk offered "Frozen Raspberry Chocolate Frappuccino" for Roxas' consideration.

"No! I just fucking _showed_ you, retard!" Larxene snapped open a little fridge. "Cream, milk, lowfat milk, nonfat milk, soy milk, _get it right!_"

"Hey, Larx," Roxas interrupted. The blond girl who usually got his coffee switched over to him without even blinking.

"Hey, Short Stuff, whatcha into?"

_Frozen Raspberry Chocolate Frappuccino. Raspberry no strawberry chocolate no chai hot not frozen._ "Strawberry chai latte. New guy, huh? You abusing the shit out of him already?"

"You fucking know it, baby." She whipped out a cup and stuck it in the new guy's face, "_Extra tall_ for him, Circus Freak. Roxas has a long day at work ahead," she snapped back to Roxas, "right baby?"

His lips twitched slightly as Roxas pulled out his credit card. "It's a fact."

"Okay, hit the button for latte, then add flavor shots…it's _this_ button, dumbass," Larxene had shoved the trainee in front of the register. Roxas bit the inside of his lip and held out his card. "Now, total it and…" She gave the newbie an exaggerated pause.

Emerald eyes like a jeweler's wet dream looked up at him, and the voice that said, "Three fifty-three, please," was the stuff of wet dreams much closer to home. Roxas didn't move.

"Now _take his card_ and swipe it. Remember to ask…"

"Um, would you like your receipt?"

Roxas opened his mouth, and Larxene answered instead. "_He_ doesn't need it, but you ask everyone else, _got it?_" A nod – which jarred a piece of red hair loose from the struggling scrunchie. The newbie handed Roxas his card back.

_Big hands, big hands, big fucking hands._

Larxene shoved the extra tall cup and a marker at the guy. "And then?"

"Um, can I get your name?" God, he sounded pretty. And maybe just a little bit…hopeful?

"It's _Roxas_," Larxene again answered before Roxas could speak. "_R-O-X-A-S_, he's here damn near every fucking morning so don't make me remind you tomorrow."

"Because it didn't take _you_ over two weeks to learn it," Roxas lightly commented.

"Shut up, bitch!" Larxene sang at him with a sharp grin, then snapped back to the trainee. "Okay, making the latte, useless newbie, come _on!_"

Larxene abused her trainee through the latte-making process, and Roxas departed with cup in hand and inner amusement firmly concealed. He studied his name where it was written on his cup – the handwriting both bold and strong and just a little bit curvy. As the door was shutting behind him, he just caught that deep, lovely voice speaking to Larxene.

"Strawberry _chai?_"

~o~

It was three days before the chalkboard gave Roxas more than "useless newbie" or "beauty school dropout" or "coffee retard" to go on. On the third day, it looked like something long had been erased, and over that – in bold, slightly-curvy handwriting – was the name "Axel."

"Loser! Get your slow ass up here and take Roxas' order!"

"Shut up, bitch!" The guy cheerfully replied. Larxene grinned her sharp, you-could-cut-yourself-with-that smile; Roxas bit the inside of his lip so as _not_ to smile and looked at the recommended drink. "Cinnamon Dolce Latte."

_Latte…espresso frappuccino, cinnamon no mocha dolce no hazelnut._

"Hey again." Big, gorgeous smile that might as well have been sparkling in a toothpaste commercial. "What can I get for you?"

"Mocha hazelnut espresso frappuccino?"

The smile faltered, nervous confusion creasing those attractive features as the newbie – _Axel_ – stared at his register. "Um…Larxene?"

"Oh my _God_, just _think_ about it!" The girl huffed and stomped over.

"I don't even know where to _start!_" They guy defended himself, then shot an apologetic look at Roxas. "I mean, I…"

"Shut up bitch, _look_. _Frappuccino_." She began to rant her way through the register and Roxas' order. Axel got to Roxas' total and Roxas handed over his card.

"Really sorry about that…"

"It's fine, don't worry…"

"Mix his fucking _drink_, bitch!"

Roxas bit the inside of his lip _hard_.

"Larx, what happened to Demyx?" Roxas was referring to the barista who had been working with Larxene most mornings since he'd started coming here.

"No, now the _espresso!_ Demyx?" She rolled her eyes. "That twink ran off to get his twink-ass married to some other twink who's even twinkier than _he_ is. _Hazelnut!_" she snapped. "They're in the Virgin-fucking-Islands right now, for the sake of irony and just to piss me off, I'm sure."

"Wow…the Virgin Islands?" Roxas ignored the implied comment about the other barista's level of sexual activity.

"Yeah, apparently his twink has some really deep pockets. They can just fuck off whenever they want, while I have to save all _year_ just to take a week and hit fucking Florida. I am _so_ going on vacation in a couple of weeks, though, and they can both kiss my ass, because I'm getting tan and getting _laid_, and – _newbie!_ Oh my _God_, stop pouring the _drink_ on the fucking _floor!_"

Axel had to start over on Roxas' drink.

~o~

The next week, Axel made no mistakes, did not hesitate over Roxas' vanilla green tea cookie crumble crème, and gave Larxene back just as much shit as she gave him. He also gave Roxas an uninterrupted, thousand-carat smile the whole time, as well as his drink, with his name written on it – and the O in "Roxas" looked strangely heart-shaped.

Roxas wore jeans for casual Friday – his ass-hugging pair.

On the way out of _Mama's Java _Friday morning, he heard a clatter and Larxene's shrill reprimand, "What the _fuck_ are you doing? How did you manage to drop – "

The door shut behind him.

~o~

Larxene went on vacation. _Mama's Java_ was almost _quiet_ when Roxas walked in, and that was when he noticed Axel was alone behind the counter.

"Hey, Axel."

"Hey, Roxas. What can I getcha?" That smile was beyond huge today. It was a little comical, actually.

Then Roxas noticed the chalkboard.

"Today your barista is:"

"_1. Hella fucking gay. 2. Desperately single." _

"For your drink today I recommend:"

"_You give me your number."_

Roxas blinked. _Well._ He blinked again. That…gave him no inspiration whatsoever for his order. Axel was watching his face like a Lottery addict waiting for the Powerball numbers. _Hm_. "Coffee…black. With…a shot of mint."

Totaled, paid, brewed, handed over – all with a grin that hovered between stunning and nervous and blatantly flirtatious. Roxas offered no comment whatsoever on the blackboard. "So Larx is on vacation, huh?"

"Oh yeah, that bitch texted me last night." Axel winked, leaning on the counter. "She's having fun."

Roxas arched an eyebrow, noticed the heart instead of an O in his name had become unmistakable and huge, and left his eyebrow pointedly arched. "Fun, huh? I weep for Florida."

Axel snickered. "I know, I can hear the children crying from here. But apparently her idea of fun includes more than verbal abuse."

"Do I want to know?"

A shrug. "Threesomes…"

"Okay, nope. That's fine. Thanks," Roxas raised his drink and turned to leave, "and have a nice day, Axel."

"You have a _gorgeous_ day, baby. See you tomorrow!"

Roxas did _not_ look back at the chalkboard on his way out.

~o~

The next day, the chalkboard was normal again: "Café Caramel Mocha," it recommended. _Café, café iced, iced caramel no java chip mocha no chai no espresso no chai…_

"Hey there, you!"

"What's up, Axel." Larxene wasn't back yet, clearly. There were hearts around Axel's name on the chalkboard. "Iced java chip chai with espresso?"

Brows together, eyes staring up at the ceiling, Axel looked like a Neanderthal trying to do logarithms in his head for a minute. Then his face relaxed into a smile. "Okay, got it. Shit, it's hard to figure out what you're even _ordering_ sometimes."

"…With whip," Roxas added as an afterthought.

Axel completely _smirked_. "Ya like a bit of _whip_, huh?" His lips looked more edible than the pastry and Danish display when they curled like that. Roxas handed his card over and completely ignored him.

"So, did you get many phone numbers yesterday?"

There was a hitch in the conversation as Axel paused a moment, startled. Then he pulled himself together and leaned over the counter, handing Roxas his card back with a woebegone pout. "Not a one…" he sighed.

"Uh huh." Roxas plucked his card away from Axel and stuck it back in his wallet…and drew out another card. His business card.

It _clinked_ lightly on top of the change in the tip jar.

Roxas was immediately rewarded with the toothpaste-commercial smile. Axel opened his mouth, about to say something…

"Iced java chip chai with espresso…and whip," Roxas calmly reminded him.

The minute he was out the door, his phone rang.

"Are you free this weekend?"

Roxas grinned, walking down the sidewalk with his inexplicable beverage. "Are baristas supposed to make phone calls while they're working?"

"I dunno I'm still in training Larxene didn't say and _will you have dinner with me Friday night?_"

"Mmmm, I dunno…I've got to be somewhere early on Saturday morning…"

"But that doesn't have anything to do with – " The line went silent. "Oh." Roxas wondered if he'd imagined the sound of a _gulp_. Then, slowly – "Do you…have anything to do Sunday morning?"

"Nope."

"How about…Saturday night? Would you have dinner with me?"

Blue eyes sparkled with pure, wicked delight, but Roxas' face and voice remained expressionless as he answered, "I guess I could _squeeze you in_ Saturday night."

He _knew_ he hadn't imagined the strained sound of a whimper from Axel's end of the line.

~o~

The doorbell rang at Roxas' townhouse at seven o'clock precisely. Roxas shook his head, cracked his neck, rolled his shoulders, flicked his wrists, and generally did everything he could in the space of five seconds to loosen up, stop twitching, and get his expression back to a polite calm. He opened the door.

Axel stood there in slacks and a dark button-down, open at the neck _God his neck_ and a jacket that matched, not that Roxas even _saw_ the colors he was wearing because _His hair is down his hair is down it's fucking down and loose and…!_ Roxas' brain spluttered and died, incapable of handling the input from his hands, which were trying to scream _Oh my God let us touch it __**now**__!_

After an imperceptible pause, Roxas almost-silently cleared his throat and gave Axel and his toothpaste-commercial smile a polite little smile of his own.

"Hi."

"Hey, am I late?"

"Nope. Come on in." Then, as Axel did – "You…ah, clean up good."

A big old saucy smirk. "Well thanks, I try. Especially for a date with the sexiest…"

Roxas' right hand met Axel's sternum and _shoved_. Axel's back hit the entryway wall and he grunted in surprise, pinned by that one shockingly powerful hand against his chest. The next moment, Roxas was on him – plastered close in full-body contact, left hand buried in Axel's hair and dragging his face down, mouths crushed together in a kiss that wasn't wasting one damn second. It was a little bit of lips and a _lot_ of tongue with sometimes-teeth as well. It was fast and rough and sizzling hot, and Axel caught on quick. _Good_.

After that, dinner was a forgotten affair. They stripped each other in the front room, sending their carefully-chosen date outfits to an early retirement in heaps on the floor and furniture. Roxas pinned Axel to various pieces of furniture while they made out, groping, touching, and getting so hot their bodies were slick with sweat. Axel had picked Roxas up and set him on the back of the couch – to be more eye-level for kissing, and more crotch-level for frotting – when Roxas pulled back and gasped, "_Bedroom_."

Axel's voice came out as a groan. "_Unnnh, _baby I don't think I can make it that far…"

Squeezing fistfuls of cherry-red hair, Roxas growled, "You _will_. My condoms are there."

Two fucking-big hands latched onto his ass and lifted him. "I can make it that far!" Axel exclaimed before diving back in for another sloppy kiss.

Roxas wrapped his legs around Axel's waist and his arms around Axel's neck and grunted and _moaned_ directions as Axel stumbled to the bedroom.

It looked like Axel was going to toss him onto the bed – until Roxas unlocked his legs, slid down Axel's body until he was standing on his own feet…and then switched their positions and _shoved_, sending Axel onto the bed on his back.

"Oh _fuck_," Axel gasped with a huge grin.

"No objections?" A quick headshake. "Good," Roxas purred, climbing forward.

Sex, in Roxas' opinion, was almost always a good thing. Theoretically, he was aware that sex could be so bad that one would prefer to be doing something else, but so far in his life, even the worst sex Roxas had had was still _sex_, still ended well for him, and therefore still felt good enough to make the effort worth it. Generally, however, he'd managed to keep his sexual experiences pretty pleasant – he tended to be picky about the guys he slept with, and that no doubt helped.

He knew enough, however, to know that sex was pretty much never the best it could be the first time. First times were for getting acquainted, touching and exploring and learning, and they came with a certain level of awkwardness. Things usually improved with practice, so he tried not to make conclusive judgments on a partner and his chemistry with them based on first times.

However, if that rule held true with Axel, then Roxas was proverbially and literally _fucked_, because…

_God. __**Damn**__._

They rushed through the preparation, and Roxas didn't give a shit. Without the slightest hesitation, he straddled Axel's hips and started riding him like a wild banshee – if banshees were hot as fuck instead of creepy and terrifying. It almost _was_ terrifying, really. He had never been this unrestrained, this hot for someone – but everything Axel did set him on fire, and everything _he_ did made Axel thrash and groan and eventually scream through gritted teeth. All Roxas' guards and reservations came crumbling off him, leaving him wildly aroused and completely unashamed of it. He threw his head back and rode Axel like it was the sole purpose for his existence, and when he came he was gasping and grasping and tense and twitching and damn near _sobbing_ with it. And when Axel came right after, he screamed.

He went down in a melted puddle of uncontrollable limbs, and Axel's arms were there to circle him and hold him against his flushed, sweaty chest. He really couldn't do much more than breathe, and that only barely.

"Roxas…Roxas…Roxas…" There was something in his voice, the way Axel whispered his name. Something reverent, and yet surprised at the same time. A kind of startled realization, like everything suddenly made sense. Of course – the answer all along…was _Roxas_.

_I am in so much trouble_.

Still, if trouble felt like _this_, Roxas wasn't against it at all. Stretching, he hummed with satisfaction, utterly pleased with himself – both for having epically scored, and for having reduced Axel's brain to mush in the process. There's was something deeply gratifying about seeing that dazed, stupidly happy look on the face of someone he'd just fucked. Body tingling with delight, Roxas pushed himself back up and kindly relieved Axel of his condom, tossing it quickly with one eye on his new lover's fantastically sexy body. The view was so nice, he decided to…_enhance_ it a little.

Leaning down and pushing one of Axel's legs to the side, Roxas kissed the inside of his thigh – _very_ high up – and then gave the spot a sharp, sudden _bite._

"Unh!" Axel's hips twitched upward in an abortive thrust.

"So much for dinner, huh?" Roxas giggled, crawling back up to lie down beside Axel and share a lazy, sensual kiss. When they parted again, Axel blinked at him.

"You're smiling." He sounded a little bit…stunned.

Roxas snorted. "I've smiled at you before."

Axel looked at him with a funny blend of thoughtful confusion and giddy happiness. "You've…yeah, a little. Like, a tiny smile. I have to watch for it. This is like…" He shook his head, searching uselessly for the words.

"_This_," Roxas clarified with a quick, sucking kiss to Axel's lips, "is for _after sex._ …If it's good enough," he qualified.

"Oh yeah?" Roxas nodded. "Right…well then, I guess you can consider me one of those boyfriends who's gonna want to have sex _all the time_."

"Mmmmm," Roxas combed his fingers through red, red, red. "I'm the same way."

In no mood to get dressed up for dinner after _that_, Roxas and Axel called for pizza and ate it in bed. Then, refueled, they fucked again – Roxas let Axel have a go at being on top, to see how he handled it. The conclusion was – _Pretty well._

Then something Axel said had them making stupid jokes about coffee, sex, and biscotti of all things, and they were both in stitches for a while over lame jokes, which they could repeat to anyone and everyone, but no one else would ever get what was so funny. You had to be there. You had to be _them_, there, high on sex and each other and goofy as a result.

They showered together – and fucked again, under the hot spray – and then tried to watch a movie, as an homage to what normal first dates usually consisted of. About halfway through, they had to admit they were falling asleep, so they gave up and went to bed and slept in each other's arms for the rest of the night.

Sunday morning started with sleepy good morning kisses, moved on to hand jobs and lazy morning orgasms, and eventually got as far as breakfast and – of course – coffee. Saturday night, Roxas had had a date, but Sunday morning, Roxas had a boyfriend.

~o~

The chalkboard proclaimed the baristas today were "Axel and Larxene" – and under Larxene's name, in bold, curvy handwriting – "The Tan Slut."

Larxene _was_ tan, and her hair had reached a new level of blond – it was almost white.

"Hey baby!"

"Hey Larx, how was Florida?" _Don't look at Axel._

"A lot fucking better than _here_. Shit. Whatcha drinkin, baby?"

_Don't look at Axel._ The recommended drink was a White Hot Chocolate. _White-hot? Axel. Axel…hot…mmmmm, fuck! Uh, chocolate…Axel. Don't look at Axel! Drink order…drink order…_

"Uh…White Hot Chocolate I guess." _Shit_.

"Huh." Larxene raised an eyebrow. "Okay baby." Then – "Axel! White Hot Chocolate, if you can fucking _manage it_, newbie."

"Shut up, bitch!" Cheerfully.

Larxene talked about her vacation some more while Roxas diligently focused on her every word. He wasn't going to look at Axel. He wasn't going to, because he knew if he looked at Axel, he would either burst into giggles or stick his tongue down Axel's throat, and he wasn't sure which would be worse – here, in this public place, in front of the Queen Of All Shit-Giving.

But then Axel slid up next to Larxene at the register and leaned forward on the counter, pushing Roxas' drink toward him with a big, sexy smirk, "White_…Hot_…Chocolate." His eyes sparkled and gave Roxas a painfully obvious once-over…

And Roxas grabbed Axel by the front of his apron, yanked him forward across the counter, leaned in, and stuck his tongue down Axel's throat. He immediately decided this wasn't such a bad idea after all. Axel tongued back just as passionately, and they made out across the counter, barely even hearing Larxene's shocked, "What the _fuck?_"

When Roxas reached the point where continuing for one more second would start to give him an erection, he pulled back, licked Axel's lips, and let him go. "See you tonight," he nodded, calmly. Then, to the blond with her jaw hanging open, "Have a good one, Larx."

He got the hell out of Dodge before she could say anything, so he missed Axel sighing heavily and sinking down until he was squatting behind the counter, his head rested on his hands rested on the very edge.

"What the fuck are you doing _now?_"

A little, pathetic whimper – "I have a boner."

"Oh my _God._"

The following day, the chalkboard still said "Larxene The Tan Slut" – and next to Axel's name, in loopy girl-handwriting, there was another title.

"Axel, the Man-Slut?" Roxas arched an eyebrow. Larxene looked haughty and righteously justified. Axel was practicing for his toothpaste commercial again. "What does that make me?"

_Hazelnut Macchiato. Hazelnut no vanilla spice macchiato no cappuccino. _

"His _client._"

"James Bond!"

"_What?_" Roxas and Larxene in unison. Then Roxas added, "Vanilla spice cappuccino."

"Sure thing baby, and how the _fuck_ does that make him James Bond?"

"I'm pretty sure none of the Bond girls were actual prostitutes…" Roxas commented, then frowned. "Wait…"

"Well, I mean, I just figured, if a whore was going to sleep with someone for free, who would it be?" Axel shrugged. "It'd _have _to be James Bond!"

"That kind of makes you a Bond girl, though…"

"_Ha!_" Larxene pointed. "You're one of the bimbo ones, too! You're one of those Bond girls who's a totally useless ditz!"

Axel pouted. "Well…I still look hot in a bikini."

"_Vanilla Spice Cappuccino?_" Roxas covered his eyes with one hand. "This conversation…I swear."

Larxene rolled her eyes. "Baby, you don't hear the half of it. I'm here with this bitch for _hours_. Trust me, it gets worse."

"It does," Axel sighed, handing over the drink and giving Roxas a quick peck. "See you tomorrow."

A tiny little smile snuck out. "Kay. See you."

~o~

The chalkboard could recommend a Café Mocha all it wanted.

"Hmm…Green tea and chai latte…"

"Like, half of each, baby?"

"Uh huh…java chip espresso, shot of strawberry, extra whip."

Larxene punched buttons. Axel just stared at him, leaning on the counter. "Does that even _exist?_"

"Hey, if Roxas says it, we make it happen, bitch." Larxene smiled and handed his card back. "Right baby?"

Roxas was about to agree, when Axel's face lit up. "Oh! Kind of like me bottoming!"

"Oh my _God!_"

Roxas _really_ didn't know how he kept his face expressionless that time.

~o~

When Roxas had first met Axel, he was mostly choosing hot drinks. By the time Roxas had shifted to mostly iced or frozen drinks, Larxene had stopped calling Axel "useless" – although she did still call him "newbie" and forever would, by virtue of having trained him. It was a hot, muggy morning, and Roxas didn't need to see the chalkboard to know that his drink today was going to be _frozen_, maybe even a smoothie, maybe like a chocolate smoothie with espresso and something on top like caramel or, well, wait and see what the chalkboard inspired…

Larxene gave him a sidelong look when he walked in and remained strangely silent. Roxas opened his mouth to say hi…and saw the chalkboard.

"Today your barista is:"

"_In love." _

"For your drink today I recommend:"

"_You move in with me, Roxas."_

Roxas stopped breathing, stopped walking, just…_stopped_. His eyes flicked instantly to Axel, who was leaning forward on the high counter, head resting on his folded arms, just watching him. Smiling a little. Nervous, a little. But more than anything, just gazing at him with tender sincerity.

_Axel._

And then, aware of being in public, his feet took him forward again. There was nothing whatsoever in his head, but somehow his voice faintly produced, "Chocolate smoothie…with espresso and caramel…please." Roxas paid without noticing the movements of his hands, and Axel made the drink almost without looking at what he was doing. He kept staring at Roxas, and every time Roxas' eyes flicked up to him, they met his waiting gaze.

Slowly, slowly, he walked down the counter to the pick-up spot, breathing steadily, keeping his face serene while his heart tried to jackhammer its way out of his chest. He got to the end, and Axel slowly slid his drink toward him, softly asking, "You okay, baby?"

Roxas didn't reach for the drink. If he put something in his hands right now, he was going to crush it and make a mess. Instead, he looked up at Axel and took a deep breath.

"I…I love you too, Axel. I love you and…and yes, I want to live with you."

Saying it cracked his shell, banished the shock, and broke the spell. Axel grinned fit to win Best Toothpaste Commercial Of All Time, Roxas smiled with all the post-sex radiance Axel didn't have words to describe, and neither of them felt the counter digging into their hips (for Axel) or stomach (for Roxas) because it was all lost in the warmth of the warmest kiss in the history of _Mama's Java. _Maybe even in the history of the world.

"Awwwww! Shorty! Loser! Look at you two bitches, how sickeningly cute!"

They both fell apart laughing, too happy to care if they made Larxene ill.

~o~

**Note to readers!** Hey guys! If you read this because you're into Axel and Roxas and that's pretty much it, well...thanks! I hope you liked it! :D But if you _also_ wonder if this Kurosora1984 lady has anything else to entertain you, and if you are even a little interested in _other_ guys getting their sexy romance on, check out my current original story on FP! Links in my profile! Thank you, dears! :D


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